1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a trolling motor and, more particularly, to a mount apparatus which significantly facilitates the locking and unlocking of the trolling motor in its stowed and deployed positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Those skilled in the art of trolling motors are familiar with many different types of mounting techniques for supporting a trolling motor with respect to a marine vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,988, which issued to Lyon on Aug. 7, 1973, describes a motor mount for securing an electric trolling motor or the like to the bow portion of a boat which includes a motor mounting plate secured to a folding frame structure. The folding frame structure is removably secured to the bow portion of the boat by means of a pair of mutually engageable wedge-type brackets fixedly secured respectively to the frame structure and the bow portion of the boat. A latch is carried by the folding frame to secure the relatively movable members thereof in operating position. The motor mounting plate is sized such that it provides positive securement of the motor mount to the bow portion of the boat when the motor mount is latched in the operating position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,369, which issued to Henning on Oct. 16, 1973, describes a bow mount for trolling motors. The device has a base member adapted to be secured to a boat. One end of a swing arm is mounted from the base member so as to permit the swing arm to rotate through approximately 180 degrees from driving and storing positions. A bracket is attached to the other end of the swing arm for at least partial rotation with respect thereto, and a trolling motor is selectively positionable in the bracket to accommodate vertical adjustment of the trolling motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,335, which issued to Roller et al. on Feb. 11, 1975, describes a bow bracket mounting for an electric trolling motor. The bracket includes a base member having a pair of upstanding c-shaped members on the forward end thereof. A pivot arm is hinged at the rear of the base and is equipped at the forward end with a trolling motor shaft holding bracket which is hinged for limited pivotal movement with respect to the arm. A remotely releasable latch is mounted on the forward end of the arm to lock the motor shaft in an operating position, but is releasable to permit movement of the trolling motor to a storage position wherein the motor shaft is horizontally disposed and the motor and prop unit is received by the c-members. In the storage position, a locking bolt eliminates movement of the arm relative to the base and in the operating position, a toggle biases the arm to engagement with the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,080, which issued to Weaver on May 4, 1976, describes a bow mount for trolling motors. A linkage including a bracket for mounting a trolling motor on the bow or deck of a boat for swinging between operating and stowed positions is described. A releasable locking mechanism is provided for locking the motor in either position, and the release from one position and translation to the other position is accomplished by a single action on the part of the operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,039, which issued to Henning on Sep. 14, 1976, describes an electrically operated bow mount for a trolling motor. A motor tube carrying the trolling motor at one end and a steering motor at the other end is mounted on a plate detachably supported on the bow or deck of a boat. A gear driven by an electric motor is mounted on the mounting plate and meshes with a rack on the motor tube to raise and lower it in vertical position, and raising the motor tube a predetermined amount trips a latch on the plate to allow the motor tube to rotate bodily with the gear to a horizontal stowed position on the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,500, which issued to Friedel et al. on Dec. 28, 1976, describes a pivotal support lock apparatus for trolling motor apparatus. A pivotal mount for a trolling motor includes a deck bracket having a housing arm pivotally mounted at one end. A gear mechanism within the arm has a fixed bevel gear on the pivot arm axis meshing with a bevel gear on a rotatable torque tube. A drive bevel gear is secured to the opposite end and meshes with a gear selector on a coupling head pivotally mounted in the outer end of the arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,680, which issued to Alexander on Feb. 22, 1977, discloses a pivotal mounting assembly for trolling motors. The mount includes a deck bracket having a housing arm pivotally mounted at one end. A gear mechanism within the arm has a fixed bevel gear on the pivot arm axis meshing with a bevel gear on a rotatable torque tube. A drive bevel gear is secured to the opposite end and meshes with a gear selector on a coupling head pivotally mounted in the outer end of the arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,703, which issued to Meredith et al. on Apr. 26, 1977, describes a trolling motor safety mount. It includes a clamp for attachment to the stern of a boat, a hollow mounting block pivotally mounted to the clamp, a detent arrangement disposed within the interior area defined by the block and for normally maintaining the block in abutting relationship with the clamp, and a latch for latching the motor out of the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,417, which issued to Foley on May 15, 1979, describes an adjustable mount for a trolling motor. A mounting bracket for an outboard electric trolling motor has center and side arms for moving and supporting a propulsion motor, as for a fishing boat, between a submerged, outboard operating position and a retracted inboard, locked and secured storage position on the deck of the boat. An adjustment linkage is interposed between pivot axes on the side arms of the bracket for adjustment of the orientation of the motor shaft in the retracted storage position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,745, which issued to Edwards on Mar. 8, 1988, describes a quick release assembly for electric troller motors. The motor tube is held in a swivel bracket that in turn is operatively connected to the mounting bracket secured to the bow or transom of the boat. A quick release pin provides one pivot for the connection between the swivel bracket and the mounting bracket, while a thrust pin provides the other connection with a movable retainer plate allowing quick release of the swivel bracket from the mounting bracket after the quick release pivot pin is removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,905, which issued to McCain on Apr. 11, 1989, describes a trolling motor mount for pleasure boats. An adjustable bracket mounting support for mounting an electric trolling motor on the forward end of a pleasure boat which includes a base member supported by two adjustable length arms which are attached to slidable clamps mounted on the bow rails of the boat and a downwardly extending support leg which attaches to the bow eye of the boat is described. A motor mount plate is rotatably mounted on the base plate and is adapted for receiving the mounting bracket assembly of a remotely controlled electric trolling motor. The supporting arm and legs of the mount are of the telescoping type which allows an infinite amount of length adjustment to properly position the motor mount as desired either over or beyond the front edge of the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,656, which issued to Boede on Oct. 24, 1989, discloses a stowable pull handle for electric trolling motor support apparatus. The manual operating cord for a deck mounted electric trolling motor includes a handle which is demountably attachable to an arm of the pivotal motor support apparatus when the motor is in the operative or stowed position. The demountable handle assures that the operating cord will always be readily accessible to the operator in the boat to either raise the motor from its operative position or lower it thereto from its stowed position on the deck.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,798, which issued to McCoy on Apr. 9, 1991, describes a trolling motor mount. A mount for dynamically attaching an auxiliary trolling motor at a user-selective position over the gunwale, transom, or stern of a fishing boat is described. The mount comprises a rigid bracket secured by a screw clamp to the wall of the boat. The bracket comprises a pair of sides spaced apart by a planar top. A bottom projects inwardly toward the open interior of the bracket. An adjustable base associated with the bracket bottom provides width compensation to accommodate different mounting surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,542, which issued to DeLeeuw on Dec. 29, 1992, describes a secure mount for a trolling motor. An improved mount for securing a trolling motor to a boat includes a slide plate, a base plate, stop, and a thumb screw. If desired, the mount can be positively secured with a lock against possible unauthorized removal or theft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,835, which issued to Henderson et al. on Apr. 23, 1996, discloses a trolling motor quick stowage device. The device is provided which allows the trolling motor to be longitudinally raised and held in place. The stowage device has a collar, such as a U-bolt, which fits around the trolling motor shaft. The closed end of the collar is rigidly attached to a supporting structure, such as a boat hull or attachment to the hull. A cam is rotatably attached to the collar so that it can engage the trolling motor shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,401, which issued to Smith on Mar. 10, 1998, describes a trolling motor tilt trigger. A trigger lever is attached pivotally at a fulcrum section to an outside portion of a steering housing that tilts on a troll motor clamp of a conventional troll motor assembly. A latch release line that is pulled from a select position on a steering handle presses a press end of a latch release rod to release a crossbar latch from engagement with ratchet slots in quarter circle edges of juxtaposed ratchet plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,781, which issued to Littleton on Apr. 25, 2000, describes a steering device for a trolling motor. An auxiliary steering device for a trolling motor employing a steering block attached to the directional shaft of the trolling motor that is connected via a continuous cable to a pivoting stick positioned on the gunwale of a boat is described. The stick, working in combination with the directional shaft, provides remote steering of an outboard trolling motor. Remote steering enables the operator to be seated in a central location within the boat and to observe the condition of the water immediately in front of the bow.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,923, which issued to Knight et al. on Aug. 13, 2002, describes a trolling motor bow mount. The bow mount and a method for releasably mounting a trolling motor to a bow of a boat are disclosed. The bow mount includes a base, a chassis, an actuation mechanism between the chassis and the base and a retaining mechanism. The base is adapted to be mounted to a bow of a boat and includes a pair of longitudinally extending spaced side channels. The chassis is adapted to be coupled to the trolling motor and includes a pair of spaced longitudinally extending side projections. The actuation mechanism is positioned between the chassis and the base and is configured to move at least one of the side projections and the side channels in a transverse direction relative to one another such that the projections extend into the channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,347, which issued to Steinhauser on Sep. 10, 2002, describes a trolling motor position responsive system. The system is disclosed that warns and/or prevents a power boat operator from engaging an outboard motor while the trolling motor remains deployed in the water. The system comprises a trolling motor positioned sensor that is in communication with an ignition switch, wherein the sensor activates and alarm and/or an ignition disabling switch when an operator attempts to engage the outboard motor when the trolling motor remains deployed in the water.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/864,299, which was filed by Bernloehr on Jun. 9, 2004, describes a trolling motor assembly. The assembly is intended for use with a watercraft. The trolling motor assembly comprises a propulsion unit, a steering control unit, a motor tube, and a mount system having a first portion adapted to be mounted to a watercraft and a second portion adapted to support the propulsion unit. The assembly further comprises an orientation system which is configured to reindex the trolling motor assembly between a forward troll position and a back troll position.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/847,218, which was filed by Bernloehr et al. on May 17, 2004, describes a trolling motor mount. The trolling motor comprises a head portion, a propulsion unit, a shaft coupling the propulsion unit to the head portion, and a mounting system configured to secure the trolling motor to the watercraft and to pivot the trolling motor between a deployed position and a stowed position. The mount system comprises a base having a first portion adapted to be mounted to the watercraft and a second portion adapted to receive the trolling motor, a pivot member coupled to the base and configured to pivot between the deployed position and the stowed position, and a damper mechanism coupled to the pivot member and configured to impede the movement of the member as the pivot member is being moved between the deployed position and the stowed position.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
It would be significantly beneficial if a trolling motor mount apparatus could be provided which simplifies the locking of the system into deployed and stowed positions and provides a more ergonomic exertion of force, on the part of the operator, to accomplish the locking and unlocking of the trolling motor mount apparatus into the stowed and deployed positions.